Damien Oliver gets last Melbourne Cup ride as Alenquer cleared

Damien Oliver will get his last ride in the Melbourne Cup after Alenquer was cleared to run on Tuesday morning.

Legendary jockey Damien Oliver will get his final ride in the Melbourne Cup.

His mount, Alenquer, has been cleared to run by vets.

“The gelding has improved significantly overnight and as a result was passed suitable to race in today’s Melbourne Cup,” stewards said.

“Alenquer will also be inspected when he arrives on course as a precaution.”

It leaves a field of 23 in the Cup after the scratching of Cleveland on Monday.

Oliver, who has won three Melbourne Cups, will retire from riding next month.

EARLIER:

Alenquer must satisfy a panel of Racing Victoria vets on Tuesday prior to 7.30am scratching time to be cleared to race after an untimely stone bruise picked up after trackwork last Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Kris Lees-trained outsider Cleveland was withdrawn from the Cup on Friday afternoon with an elevated temperature.

Late Scratching: 07-11-2023 Flemington R7 - Cleveland -Scratched from the Melbourne Cup on Vets advice @5.40pm

— RVStewards (@RVStewards) November 6, 2023

• Melbourne Cup favourite backed to win more than $3 million

Cleveland, along with the 23 other Cup runners passed the mandatory final pre-race trot up on Monday, prior to the unfortunate spike. The horse’s scratching leaves prominent owner Lloyd Williams with just the one runner, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Serpentine, in the race.

The field was reduced to 23 potential runners on Monday, with Alenquer inspection to come on Tuesday morning.

The minor Alenquer setback has left Oliver, set to retire in December, faced with the possibility of an 11th hour disappointment.

“What will be will be, I spoke to Mike this morning, he seems pretty confident he’ll get there, who knows,” Oliver said on Monday.

“With feet it’s a day to day thing, it’s not like a tendon or a bone injury, one day they’re not so good and next day they can be OK.

“It’s all timing, if I’m going to have a ride I want to be riding on a fit, healthy horse, if the horse isn’t right it’s not right.

“I’ve ridden in enough Melbourne Cups to not just have a ride for the sake of having a ride, I know it’s my last, but you want the horse to be right if he’s going to go there.

“Pretty philosophical about, I’ve been in it long enough to see the ups and downs and what will be will be.”

Alenquer (Jordan Childs) crosses the line in the All Star Mile at Moonee Valley in March. Picture: Vince Caligiuri / Getty Images)

• The Bart Cummings blueprint says there’s only one Melbourne Cup chance

Oliver has won the Cup three times previously aboard Doriemus (1995), Media Puzzle (2022) and Fiorente (2013).

The late Harry White has the record with four triumphs — Think Big (1974-75), Arwon (1978) and Hyperno (1978).

Alenquer’s managing owner Rupert Legh praised the RV vets for their efforts.

“They’ve given us 24 hours to let him get over it, which has been terrific, the vets have been great,” Legh said on Monday.

“I think they want him in the race as well.

“We want to see Ollie out there and I think the whole racing public want to see Ollie out there, it’s not about us, it’s about Ollie and the horse, if we could get out there it would be a great result for all.

“This is like watching Collingwood again, for two and half hours you’re on your edge of your seat and you win it the last second, hopefully we have the same outcome tomorrow morning, it would be pretty good.”

Legh reiterated Oliver’s confidence in Alenquer after being in regular contact with Michael Moroney.

“Fingers crossed the stars will align and Ollie gets on board and we can send off Ollie on a winning note, it would be pretty special,” Legh said.

“It’s only a minor stone bruise, it’s not a significant injury, it’s not an abscess, anything too sinister, so it’s just a time job.

“It’s pretty fresh, it’s pretty raw, but it’s not a major one. (Moroney) said if you trotted him on the grass you wouldn’t know, but on the concrete it was just enough (discomfort) this morning to fail him.”

Originally published as Damien Oliver gets last Melbourne Cup ride as Alenquer cleared